We attempted to correlate echolocation call parameters to a comprehensive array of ear and nose measurements from 12 families of bats. Surprisingly, we failed to find any significant relationships. We did find consistent differences between nasal and oral emitters such as: (a) nasal emitters have higher frequencies with maximum energy for their size than oral emitters, (b) nasal emitting bats tend to have longer, narrower skulls, and (c) nasal emitters have a shorter distance from the nostril to the eye (muzzle length).

We examined the influence of average climatic conditions and nightly weather variations using bat detectors on the summer activity of bats. Average summer precipitation was the principal climate variable correlated with differences in bat activity along a latitudinal array of sites, with the highest activity levels occurring at sites located in montane rain shadows. On a nightly basis, the occurrence of rain and low temperatures had strong negative correlations with flight activity. However, the variation in nightly activity at a site that was explained by weather was relatively small. Our results suggest that the use of long-term climatic data offers potential to predict variations in bat activity among sites. Such information may be useful in recognizing conservation priorities for the management of bats in the Pacific Northwest where topography is complex and climate conditions are variable.

The low- and high-frequency components of a rustling sound, created when prey (freshly killed frog) was jerkily pulled on dry and wet sandy floors and asbestos, were recorded and played back to individual Indian false vampire bats (Megaderma lyra). Megaderma lyra responded with flight toward the speakers and captured dead frogs, that were kept as reward. The spectral peaks were at 8.6, 7.1 and 6.8 kHz for the low-frequency components of the sounds created at the dry, asbestos and wet floors, respectively. The spectral peaks for the high-frequency sounds created on the respective floors were at 36.8,27.2 and 23.3 kHz. The sound from the dry floor was more intense than that of from the other two substrata. Prey movements that generated sonic or ultrasonic sounds were both sufficient and necessary for the bats to detect and capture prey. The number of successful prey captures was significantly greater for the dry floor sound, especially to its high-frequency components. Bat-responses were low to the wet floor and moderate to the asbestos floor sounds. The bats did not respond to the sound of unrecorded parts of the tape. Even though the bats flew toward the speakers when the prey generated sounds were played back and captured the dead frogs we cannot rule out the possibility of M. lyra using echolocation to localize prey. However, the study indicates that prey that move on dry sandy floor are more vulnerable to predation by M. lyra.

This paper examines bat-plant interactions by focusing on the fruit diet and food selection of flying foxes (Pteropus rufus) in the littoral forest fragments of Sainte Luce, SE Madagascar. Analyses of faecal samples and opportunistic observations revealed 40 endemic plant species in the diet. The bats mainly eat odorous ripe and juicy berries. No particular fruit colour was predominant in their diet. Both multi- and single-seeded fruits are eaten. Small seeds (1–3.5 mm in length) are usually swallowed whole. Passage through the digestive tract of the flying foxes does not reduce the germination rate of seeds nor the percentage of seeds germinated. This study indicates that the role of flying foxes in both short and long distance seed dispersal for a large number of endemic tree species of the littoral forest should not be underestimated when designing reforestation programs in particular or conservation action plans in general.

Monthly samples of arthropod remains (n = 1,190 culled parts) collected over a year from under a Nycteris thebaica night roost in the Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve (South Africa) show that prey eaten by bats vary significantly by order but not by season. Nevertheless, there was a significant interaction between the prey category and season, suggesting that these two factors are not independent from each other. Coleoptera (49.6% in the culled parts, calculated as percent composition) dominated in spring (September—November), Orthoptera (38.8%) in summer (December—February), Hemiptera (42.8%) in autumn (March—May), and Lepidoptera (36.3%) in winter (June—August). The diet also included a frog and a small fish (n = 2 parts).

Phylogenetic analyses of bacular and chromosomal GTG-band characters verify the suggestion that Eptesicus hottentotus (A. Smith, 1833) is the only true Eptesicus Rafinesque, 1820 of the six southern African species (capensis, cf. melckorum, rendalli, somalicus and zuluensis) formerly classified as Eptesicus. GTG-banded chromosomes studied in rendalli, zuluensis and capensis confirm the affiliation of all of them to the genus Neoromicia; these species were previously placed in the Pipistrellus Kaup, 1829, subgenus Neoromicia based on bacular morphology. For karyological reasons, the elevation of the subgenus Neoromicia to generic rank is established by the presence of three Robertsonian fusion chromosomes (7/11, 8/9, 10/12) as distinguishing characters. The move of Hypsugo nanus and cf. melckorum to the genus Neoromicia is indicated by chromosomal analysis and bacular morphology, respectively. The close phylogenetic relationship between Pipistrellus cf. kuhlii and P. rusticus is shown by a shared Robertsonian fusion element (11/12).

A recent collection of bats from The Gambia presented in this publication comprises 17 species, four of which (Lissonycteris angolensis, Pipistrellus (P.) rusticus, P. (Neoromicia) guineensis, and Scotoecus hirundo) represent new records for The Gambia, raising the total number of known species from 27 to 31. Notes on taxonomy, distribution, ecology and biology are presented.